War On the Seine

Late afternoon sun shows off that fellow's
yellow
skirt rather nicely.

Sandy and Lydie Go Shopping

Paris:- Sunday, 26. September 1999:- A week or so
ago, a court official quietly seized the entire fleet of 13
ships belonging to the Compagnie Bateaux-Mouches on account
of an unpaid river navigation bill.

The bill was for nine million francs. The value of the
cruise company's fleet is estimated at 250 million. This
company is a leader in a sector that hauls four million
passengers a year; who spend some 400 million francs.

Apparently the dispute goes back to 1989, when a
competitor got the
concession to operate the Batobus river ferry. Along with
the concession, was the permission to pick up and drop
passengers from desirable quays - which the regular
bateaux-mouches cannot do.

Paris police on patrol on
Rue de Rivoli on Wednesday.

In 1996, a day before the concession came up for
renewal, Bateaux-Mouches owner Jean Bruel was attacked by
unknown assailants and hospitalized; and he failed to make
his bid for the Batobus monopoly.

Since then, Mr. Bruel and his British associates have
taken his case to Brussels - against the Porte de Paris,
the city's river authority. He has also attacked the port
authority directly in a Paris commercial court - a week
before his fleet's seizure.

The Compagnie Bateaux-Mouches' principal competitor is a
French company, Sodexho, which belongs to the US company,
Marriott.

At stake are the valuable landing stages, now
monopolized by Batobus - although they were paid for with
city funds - taxpayer's money.

Sandy et Lydie

Two sisters, one married with two kids and the other
with neither. Sandy, one year younger than Lydie, was a bit
unhinged by the death of their mother, but the sisters were
each other's best friends.

It is not clear which of the two first had the idea for
the holdup. But they 'borrowed' grandpa Willy's starter
pistol, borrowed hubby's car and told the kids they were
going shopping.

Instead of merely shopping, they bought ski-masks,
dressed in overalls, put on
latex gloves and sunglasses, and painted over the license
plates.

Thus equipped, they held up their own village's post
office and made a clean getaway with 30,000 francs.

After paying for car repairs, buying six porcelain
dolls, visiting some restaurants and buying a dog for
Lydie's kids; after three months 'on the run,' they were
apprehended. How they were tracked down was not
disclosed.

More good wine at Madeleine in
l'Ecluse.

In court they stuck together like glue and assumed joint
responsibility - although Sandy said she'd master-minded
the coup, as 'revenge on society.' Lydie said they had been
'hand-in-hand.'

The court decided to give them five years each; with two
suspended. But they may be out in no time at all - on
account of time already spent in 'preventive
detention.'

Le Bug 2000

While France considers itself to be prepared to pass
into the coming millennium without great problems caused by
the so-called 'Bug 2000' - I'll just forget the report I
heard on France-Info radio news about the lack of readiness
by small and medium firms - the US and British governments
have issued warnings about passing the New Year in
Russia.

Apparently countries with little digital infrastructure
are not great risks. Somebody funny says there is more
worry about vodka in Russia than about Russia's satellites
- although the Americans are reported to have signed an aid
agreement 'in case of' concerning military satellites.

None of this explains Le Parisien's headline for the
report, which says 'Avoid Italy.' It must be a
typo.

Le Menu 2000

If 3500 French chefs have anything to do with it, we are
not going to be eating test-tube bean-sprouts or spacy-tube
fake-food when the third millennium rolls around. The chefs
insist that foie gras will still be the number-one
starter.

Whether 'fresh,' pan-fried, baked in a tureen, or with
truffles; foie gras prevails. Don't even bother printing
all the magazines with new ultra-light diets, because for
the main dish the chefs say pot-au-feu will endure - unless
it is in the south-west, where sturdy cassoulet will remain
king.

For desert, the tarte Tatin is the number-one choice.
Despite these omens, chefs also predict that time allowed
for eating will be shorter - so stomachs are going to have
to adjust to the onslaught of these heavy-duty
dishes.

Sports News:

Sleazy Pool Halls

These don't exist in Paris, in principle. Instead the
capitol has billiard palaces - or did have, until slot
machines proved more lucrative.

The sign for the Académie de Billard de Paris is
still in place in the Avenue de Wagram, but the 100 members
of the club have been tossed out.

The casino operator sent the club members a letter
inviting them to move to the Académie de Billiard
Murat, which in turn closed its doors three months
later.

While a sulk goes on between the owners of the property
- the town of La
Ferté-sous-Jouarre inherited it - and the operators
of the casino, Paris is without any billiard hall capable
of holding national or international tournaments or
championship matches.

The day after carless
Wednesday, in the Rue Royale.

The Académie de Billard de Paris was famous for
its top-notch players, such as world champion Roger Conti,
and for the quality of its hall, with its height of
10-metres and its mezzanine balcony for spectators.

The club members are talking to the Ville de Paris,
because most of the 700 billiard halls associated with the
national federation in France are owned by
municipalities.